#352 - Chapter 352: Malfoy's Stubbornness

The house-elves' rejection hit Hermione harder than expected.

She didn't feel like studying in the library, so she went to the Black Lake and sat there, gazing at the water, quietly contemplating things.

The calm surface of the lake reflected the gray sky, and occasionally a few small fish floated to the surface, creating fine ripples.

Hermione's figure was reflected on the lake, appearing thin and stubborn.

Ron and Harry sat beside her, unsure of what to say to comfort her.

Time passed, and the sky gradually darkened. At half past six, Harry looked up at the castle and stood up.

He whispered to the two: "I have to go, Professor Swan is waiting for me to attend his class."

Then, he looked at Ron, signaling with his eyes for him to think of a solution.

Ron, with his back to Hermione, gently patted his chest and silently mouthed to Harry: "Don't worry, mate, I've got this. Just take care of your own business."

Harry nodded, gave Ron a thumbs-up, and then turned and left, leaving the two alone.

Just as he entered the castle, Harry ran into Malfoy, who was panting, obviously having run all the way back from the dueling hall.

As soon as he saw Harry, Malfoy immediately adjusted his breathing, tidied his clothes, and put on an air of nonchalance.

"Potter, I didn't see you in the canyon all afternoon. Were you scared by me this morning?"

"Don't tell me you know you have no hope of being chosen as a champion and gave up voluntarily."

"If you want to become a champion in the Triwizard Tournament, you'll have to work hard."

Hearing these words, which were superficially sarcastic but actually concerned, Harry grinned: "How could I give up? I just went to a club activity this afternoon."

"Besides, who's scared of you? You've lost to me more than once or twice."

Club activity...

Malfoy subconsciously curled his lips.

"Why are you still participating in club activities at this time? Get your priorities straight! I wish I could just live in the dueling hall."

"If Professor Swan hadn't called me, I would definitely have practiced until the dueling hall lights went out. By the way, do you know what magic Professor Swan is going to teach us?"

"You don't know?" Harry gave him a surprised look.

Brain Occlumency is an advanced magic, and Professor Swan didn't even tell Malfoy in advance so he could preview it.

It seems that the professor has unique teaching skills, and previewing doesn't matter.

However, previewing would always help you learn faster, so it seems that Malfoy will be anxious again later.

Harry chuckled and said mysteriously, "You'll find out later."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the door of Sebastian's office, knocked, and then walked in.

As soon as they entered, before they could even speak, Malfoy's stomach embarrassingly rumbled, causing Harry to glance sideways.

In an instant, Malfoy's face turned red.

Damn it, he embarrassed himself in front of the professor and Potter.

"Haven't had dinner yet?" Sebastian's voice was extremely gentle, alleviating Malfoy's embarrassment.

"It's okay, Professor, I'm not hungry yet," Malfoy said stubbornly. "Let's study first."

"There's no rush to study. Let's fill our stomachs first. I've only had a few snacks myself."

Sebastian smiled gently, waved his wand, and conjured a dining table in the center of the office. Then, he called a house-elf to help prepare a simple meal for the three of them.

Harry saw that it was a familiar face. It was the house-elf named Mary.

Feeling his stomach, which wasn't very hungry, Harry only asked the house-elf to prepare a pie and a glass of juice for himself.

Thinking of Hermione and Ron by the Black Lake, he also asked the house-elf to pack a few pies in case they were hungry.

However, Mary obviously still remembered what had happened in the afternoon, so she wasn't as enthusiastic towards Harry.

Sebastian noticed the elf's differential treatment. After Mary prepared the food and left, he asked with a smile: "Harry, did you offend Mary when you went to the kitchen this afternoon?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh.

He didn't expect the house-elf to dislike him too.

He swallowed the food in his mouth and then explained what had happened in the afternoon.

Hearing Hermione's performance, Sebastian nodded approvingly.

The little girl had finally listened to his advice and didn't aggressively instill the idea of freedom into the house-elves like she did in the original story, and she knew how to consider their feelings.

"How about this, Harry? I have a few small suggestions here that you can pass on to Miss Granger when you get back."

"Letting the house-elves be free is not very realistic, but she can call on people to treat house-elves as part of the family, rather than slaves to be beaten and scolded."

"She can also start a household magic interest group. After all, in the magical world, most families don't have house-elves, and wizards have to do their own housework."

"Miss Granger can start with this kind of small thing, and while teaching her classmates household magic, she can also reduce the burden on the house-elves in the school."

"By the way, did you see Winky this afternoon? She's temporarily working at Hogwarts."

Winky?

Harry's eyes lit up.

The house-elf that Crouch drove away.

She's at Hogwarts?

What does temporarily mean?

"Yes," Sebastian said, "I recruited her into Swan Alchemy, but she hasn't gotten over her sad emotions yet."

"So, I temporarily arranged for her to work in the Hogwarts kitchen, hoping to heal her with the power of the collective."

"If Miss Granger is interested, she can enlighten her and help her open her heart. It's also a good opportunity for her to practice interacting with house-elves."

Harry nodded, indicating that he would definitely pass on the message.

Malfoy was gobbling down his food, not interrupting at all.

House-elves...

That Granger actually wants to free them, she's crazy.

However, the professor has a great need for house-elves. Last semester, he wanted to abduct the house-elves of Hogwarts.

It seems that if you want to please the professor, you can give him house-elves as gifts.

This news is valuable, I still have to tell Dad about it later.

Soon, the food on the table was wiped out by everyone, and Sebastian waved his wand to clear a space.

"Now that we're full and satisfied, let's learn Occlumency."